A Facebook post shared on June 20, 2026 reads, “World record for yoga in 500 boats across the Ganga.”
The attached 14-second video begins with an aerial shot of hundreds of small boats filled with people dressed in white beneath Kolkata’s Howrah Bridge and ends with a spectacular drone show.
The overlaid text reads, “Kolkata aims for Guinness World Record: Yoga on 500 boats across the Ganges.”
Screenshot of a false post taken on June 23, 2026. Red X and AI symbol added by AFP
The video was also spread on similar Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and X posts.
One of the posts said, “Wow, this merger has changed the fortunes of the entire World Bank state. I have never seen yoga celebrated with such fervor in this part of the country. It is a positive sign not only for India but also for the state.”
Some people say, “Awesome! What a visual! The postcard is perfect!”
The video surfaced after Indian media reported that grand celebrations were planned in Kolkata to mark the 12th International Day of Yoga on June 21, and a world record attempt on the Hooghly River was planned (archive link).
“500 boats will touch the water in synchronized yoga postures in a breathtaking attempt at the Guinness World Records,” said a Times of India report, adding that a “mega drone light show” would also be held over Howrah Bridge and Second Hooghly Bridge.
However, the video shared on social media did not match any photos or videos of the attempt and was actually created with the help of AI.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the national observance of International Yoga Day with thousands of participants from Kolkata’s Red Road on the theme ‘Yoga for Healthy Aging’ (Archive Link).
Photos from the event were shared by NurPhoto agency and showed participants performing synchronized yoga exercises on a boat on the Hooghly river (archived here and here).
The accidentally shared video differs from these photos and contains anomalies indicating it was generated by AI.
The boats in the accidentally shared video are placed in perfect rows with the same spacing, and the participants are in the same pose. The crowd watching the drone show at the end of the clip is also unnaturally still, and the river’s reflections don’t seem to match the light emitted by the drones.
According to analysis using the Hive Moderation detection tool, the video “may contain AI-generated or deepfake content” (archive link).
Screenshot of Hive moderation detection tool analysis results (with AI disclaimer)
A reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the accidentally shared video found the same clip shared on Instagram on June 20th (archive link).
The video was shared on the ‘Kolkata Golpo’ page and its caption reads in part: “Kolkata is set to attempt a Guinness World Record for the first time ever as yoga practitioners perform synchronized yoga in 500 boats across the sacred Ganges under the iconic Howrah Bridge.”
It also says “generated by AI”.
Screenshot of June 20th Instagram post with AI disclaimer
AFP contacted Shuvik Ghosh, the founder of the Instagram page, who said he was the one who created the video that went viral on social media.
He said the video was created using ChatGPT, Gemini, and Kling 3.0.
“The event was officially announced and we created an AI visualization of what would happen if 500 people did yoga on a boat. It’s a creative expression,” he said on June 22.
AFP has previously debunked a number of misleading claims that rely on AI-generated content.
